Type-writing machine.



EI B. HESS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 1916.

Patented May 22, 1917.

NJ \.N MIJ A JI E. B. HESS.

' TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC.9,I9I6. 1,227,438. Patented May 22,1917.

Mmm

interposed between the shift key UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWAlRD B. HESS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL TYPEWRITER COM? PANY, ING., 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application led December 9, 191,6. Serial No. 185,958.

To all whom it may concern.'

Bc it known that I, EDWARD B. Hass, a.

citizen of the United States, residing...at

of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-VVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to' the mechanism of type-writing machines for effecting changes in the letter case printing and particularly to mechanism of this class in which a key lever is employed for shifting the platen or carriage from lower to u )per case position. In such mechanism lato es operated by shift keys have heretofore been elnployeel for holding the carriage in both upper and lower case'positions and the ar rangement has been such that whenever the carriage was lifted to upper case'positlon by a shift. key a latch was made to engage .the carriage or the shift rail beneath the carriage and thus hold it in its upper po sition until the shift key was-released. In such'construction as soon as the shift key was lreleased the latch was also released and therefore the latch was :'ctuatcd at each operation of the shift key. Said mechanism has also heretofore been pro vided with locking devices operated hy a separate key known as the shift lock key which when depressed held the shift key in such manner as to hold the carriage in upper case position.

In the operation of the shifting. and locking devices as 'previously constructed the carriage was usually held up by the appropriate was depressed even when it was desired to print. only a single capital letter, This is not always necessary. It is often preferable to lift the carriageand hold it momentarily during the printing of a single letter by the shift key only and to bring the holding up latch into operation only when a series o capital letters is to be printed. According to my present invention instead of o peratingv the holding up latch by the shift key I actuate it by the shift lock key, which latter is brought into operation only when it is desired to print a series of capitalletters. 4

In my pending application No. 1],604, filed August 24. 1.916. I have shown moans and the latch each time that theshift key carriage or the part to be shifted for cushioning the movement of the shift key after the shifting operation is completedyand myV resent improvements are referabl 1n connection with such cusliioning evices. In the accompanying drawings I. have shown my invention ap lied to\ a Royal Standard machine of we known construction.

Figure l is a view in longitudinal section of the machine frame or casin and it shows the carriage and the carrla e shifting mechanism in side elevation, T is figure of the drawing shows the carriage in lower case position.

Fig. 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the connection between one of the shifting links or rods and the carriage lifting levers.

Fig. Bis a detail view in section of the cushioning device interposed in the connections between the shift key and the carriage shift levers. 4This figiire of the drawing shows the cushioning device in `normal condition when the shift key is in elevated position.

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing the-carriage in elevated position and the shifting mechanism in the position it assumes after the carriage has been lifted. This ligure of the drawing also shows by dotted lines how an additional cushioned movement is given to the" shift key after the carriage is fully raised.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but shows the carriage in lifted position as in Fig. l. and it also shows the condition of the mechanism after the shift lock key has been depressed and the holding up latch has heen moved into position to support the carriage.

Fig. 6 is a detail view in section of the cushioning device also shown in Fig. 3, but

shows the condition of the parts after the shift key has been depressed in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4j

aos

that there is a pair of links E and a pair of levers F, those on one side of the machine only being. shown.

The shift lever H is pivoted at ii to the machine frame and carriesa finger key h. A shift locking lever and key I are associated with the shift key lever in the usual way. Said lever H is in bell crank form and is connected by a lrod K with the locking latch G engaging a lug g for holding the carriage in lower case position, and said lever H is connected with one of the levers F by links or rods associated with adjusting and cushioning devices of the -kind shown in my application for patent before mentioned. It will be understood that more than one shift lever may be employed. Preferably a single locking lever is used.

A spring S connected with one of the levers F at s and adjustably connected with the machine frame at s is employed for counterbalancing to some extent the weight of the carriage in the usual way.

The shift lock lever I operates a locking lever J pivoted to the machine frame at y' and having an end normally engaging a pin i on the shift lock lever I. Said lever J is formed with a recess j and said lever is held in the position shownin Fig. l by a spring jg. lVhcn the shift lever H is de pressed and the levers I and J are also depressed the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 5 when, as will be observed, the pin z" on the lever Il enters lthe recess y" and the case shifting lever lis held in depressed position. By merely depressing the shift key It the pinf/' will be disengaged from the lever J and the spring .7'2 will cause the lever J and the shift lock lever to rise, thus releasing the case shift lever which will also rise to normal position. The cz'lrriage will then lower, and the latch will engage the 111g g.

A rod or link Irisconnected with the lower end of one of .the levers l" and another rod M is connected with the bell crank' lever H. The connection between the rod L and the lever F is preferably made by forminga loop a in the rear end of the road which engages a pin f on the lever and this loop at its front end is connected with a spring g which is attached at its rear end to the pin f. lVhen the carriage is lifted the spring g is under tension as indicated in Fig. 5, but when' the carriage is lowered the spring causes the rear end of the loop to separate from the pin a short distance so that when the shift lever again de pressed there is a little lost motion before the rear endof the loop engages the pin f and thus before the raising operation of the carriage commences. In this way time` is givenfor the latch G to he disengaged from the carriage before the latter commences to rise. Between the rod's L and M the adjusting and cushioning devicev N is 'interposed. The rod M is adjustably connected at its front end with a' plug m screwed into the rear end of a tube m and held in its adjusted position by a nut m2. The rod L enters an internally threaded sleeve Z and is adjustable therein, being held in adjusted position by a nut Z. The sleeve Z enters the tube m and is formed at its inner end with a head Z2. Between the head Z2 of the sleeve Z and the end of the tube m is interposed a spring O placed under compression and tending to move the rod L rearward or to press the tube forward.

lVhen the shift key is depressed it .at lirst draws the rods L and M and their connections rearward and raises the carriage to its full extent without putting further compression on the spring, bu-tthe shift key may be further depressed, and the spring 0 put undercompression and act as a. cushion to the operation of the shift key. lVhen the shift ke'y is released the compression of the spring is relaxed and the parts returned to their normal position in the usual way. Fig. 3 of the drawings shows the condition of the cushioning spring when the carriage is in its lowered position while Fig. 6 shows the condition of the cushion ing spring when put .under compression. The spring is so adjusted that when the shift key is operated to raise the carriage against its stop T it is not further compressed, but an additional movement given to the shift key will put the spring under compression i-n the manner before'described.

As thus far described the mechanism is of well known construction or is shown in my application for. patent above mentioned, but it is often desirable to positively hold the carriage in its lifted position by '.1 latch after the shift key has been depressed. As before stated this has' previously been done, but such latch has been operated by the shift key cach time that the shift ke was depressed. According to my present lnvention I provide a latch Q pivoted at g to theA machine frame and adapted to extend under the lugr g on one of the arms D, which lug is also engaged by the latch G at the proper' time. The lat'ch Q is connected by a link or rod Q with an arm I3 formed on thel depressed. position with the carriage in lifted position and at the same time the holding up'latch Q isbrought into position to hold the carriage in upper case position in the manner indicated in Fig. 5.

While I have shown my improvements as applied to a Royal Standard machine, and as being used in connection with a shift key having cushioning devices of the kind illustrated, it is understood that my claims are not all limited. to the particular mechanism shown 'and hereinbefore` described. ther-more my invention may be applied to machines of various kinds constructed to effect` the shifting from lower ease to upper case printing in various ways. One embodiment of my invention is illustrated which is sufficient to indicate the manner in which my invention may be efficiently used.

It will of course be understood that, when it is desired t'o pri nt a series of capital letters, the shift lock lever I may be depressed without having first depressed the shift key lever as the construction of the mechanism is such that the depression of the lever I will cause the shift lever H to be also depressed and held until it is operated to release theloeking mechanism.

I claim as my invention:

.1. A case-shifting n'lecl'ianism for type writing machines conn'irising means for moving the part to be shifted to shifted position, cushioningA means therefor, means for locking the mechanism in shifted position, a device for rigidly sustaining the shifted part when held by the tension of the cushioningr device, and means for moving Said locking means for the shift mechanism into and out of operative position.

2. A case-shifting mechanism for `typewriting machines comprisingr means for moving the part to be shifted to shifted position, cushioning means therefor, means for locking the mechanism in shifted position, a device for rigidly sustaining the shifted" part when held by the tension of the cushioning device, and meansl operated by said locking means for the shift mechanism for moving said sustaining 'device out of operative position.

3. A case-shifting mechanism for 'type Writing machines comprising a shift key, connections between the shift key and the part to be shifted prrwided with yielding cushioning devices, a shift key'loeking device, means for ola-rating it, and means for sustaining the shifted part in shifted position while yieldingly held by said shifting devices.

4. A, case-shifting mechanism 'for typewriting machines connirising' a shift key, connections between the shift key and the part to be shifted provided ,with yielding ,devices whereby the shifted part held Furyieldingly in its shifted osition, a shift key locking device for holding the shift key in shifted position, a lever for operating the shift key locking device, a device for rigidly holding the shifted part in shifted position, and connections between said holding device and the lever which operates the shift key locking device.

5. In a case-shifting mechanism for typewriting machines, a shift key, connections between the shift key and the part to` be shifted, a shift key locking device, a key op eratively connected therewith, a latch pivotally connected with the main frame and adapted to assume a vertical position to en gage the part to be Vshifted and to support it, and connections between the latch and the shift locking key.

6. In a case-shifting mechanism for typewriting machines the combination of can riage raising mechanism, a shift` key lever operatively yconnected therewith, a locking device for the shift key adapted to depress the shiftkey lever, a shift iock key for actuating said shift key locking device, a latch ei'igaging' the carriage raising mechanism when the latter is elevated, and connections between the latch and the shift lock key for causing it to engage lthe carriage raising mechanism when the shift lock key is depressed.

7. The combination with a typewriter carriage of mechanism Afor supporting and raising it, a shift key lever connected therewith, locking devices applied to the shift key lever for holding the carriage'in raised position, a latch adapted to engage'the carriage raising mechanism `when the carriage is raised, a lever for actuating the locking de vices, and connections vbetween said lever and the latch wherel'ly the latch is moved to engage the carriage raising mechanism when the latter is raised.

S. The combination with a typewritercarriage of mechanism for supporting and raising it, a shift key lever for actuating the carriage raising mechanism, locking devices operating upon the shift key lever for hold-V ing the carriage in raised position, a latch adapted to engage the carriage raising'mechanisl'n when the carriage is raised,a locking leves.' for actuating thelocking devices and for also actuating the shift hey lever, and crm'nections between said locking lever and the latch whereby the latch is moved to engage the carriage raising mechanism when the latter is raised. l

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

nnwann n. nnss. 

